Chapter 20

"Stones and Blood "

Jiro had noticed the emptiness in the classroom, quickly. Stone, even while using doors now, still tended to move around as she wanted, but it was still weird to not see her there before them. "Pikachu, have you seen 'Rice?"

"No?" Kaminari gave her a raised eyebrow, as if he would know. He didn't follow the girls that closely. The two turned to Momo, who had just walked into the classroom herself. "Momo, have you Seen 'rice?"

The taller girl shook her head no, realizing that she had taken the other's existence for granted, she'd automatically assumed Stone was already there. "I'm sure she'll be in before she's late." She reassured the others, before taking her seat.

Classroom conversation hardly involved Stone after that, going into discussions of homework, some TV shows, and a few other subjects for the few who had seen family that weekend. The noise in the room rising into its usual pre-Aizawa cacophony, one that quickly muted itself with the entrance of their teacher. Taking stock of his class quietly and noting the empty seat on his own. "Has any one seen Stone?"

A few no sirs, a few silent shakes of their head as the class confirmed they hadn't seen her yet either. Odd given that they lived in the same dorm, but not unreasonable given her person. "We'll start without her then."

And he did, he wasn't going to wait for one student's tardiness. However as his students went into their morning work, she still didn't show, and as the schedule had them going to their first classes of the day she was still absent. Finally now that he wasn't in front of his students, he took the moment to look at his phone for an answer.

There it was; she was with Recovery Girl in the Nurses office. Sick apparently. There was a follow up note that he should come talk. Talk to Recovery Girl at least, she apparently had some concerns. Well now was as good a time as any seeing as he wasn't needed at the moment, and his grading was light and do-able during his lunch.

So he headed down that way to the Nurses office.

Someone else was recovering, sleeping away whatever their issue was, another had the curtain drawn around it, and presumably that was where Alarice was. The old but immensely capable Recovery Girl found him, herself. They made eye contact as he gently knocked on the door way, before coming in.

She nodded to him, "Stone showed up this morning with some help, complaining of vomiting. She was dehydrated, and had managed to have a severe nosebleed at some point during the night. She's thrown up once more since coming in."

"Alright, so she's sick, sounds pretty bad." Aizawa commented, looking for why she was still there or if there was more.

"It's not contagious, it looks like it was just severe dehydration and a severe nosebleed. " She gave him a look, to fight off his own. She was the medical professional here. "Blood from a 'nosebleed' can travel down the throat, and into the stomach, which can, reasonably, upset it. Likely that was why she was throwing up at all, which made the dehydration worse... It's a vicious cycle, dehydration." She paused for a moment, at the noise from said sleeping patient, but she wasn't awake. Still deeply unconscious, curled up on her side. "I wanted to talk to you because, I'm concerned it might be stemming from stress."

"Stress? So call Sunshine." Aizawa asked, raising eyebrows, and looking otherwise stoically at Chiyo. The elder gave him an almost withering look for the suggestion. He let out a breath. "If she's not taking care of herself from stress then that's a problem."

The elder offered no differing opinion on that, instead raised a thought. "Its only a theory, but she is going through a time even an adult would find difficult. What she probably needs, is some support, is her family not reachable?"

"Aside from the one that smashed her face, its just her father, back in the states, and he's wheelchair bound." Chiyo gave a sound of acknowledgment. Aizawa let out a deep sigh, he wasn't the emotionally supportive type, he'd never needed it, so often he found it hard to give it.

"Sunshine is her godmother, she should be taking care of Stone's emotional needs." He added

"Well, despite that woman's official roll, I'm not sure she's the one for the Job." The tone she took when talking about Sunshine surprised him. Only a little. He had his suspicions, as did Mic and Midnight after hearing Mic talk about her. He chalked Chiyo up to the list of people who didn't like Sunshine either. "Someone else, needs to be there to support this child, or she's going to crumble despite all her efforts, and yours."

"So you messaged me instead of her." Aizawa grumbled out, mulling over ideas and curious to know what made grandmotherly Chiyo decide that even Sunshine wasn't good enough.

"Oh I messaged her too, she just never responded." Chiyo grumbled out, uncharacteristically annoyed. Likely she'd learned that Yamada had stayed with her overnight at the hospital, instead of Sunshine. Now she was sick and sleeping off whatever it was she had given herself. Alone again, except for himself and Chiyo.

"I don't know what Miss Sunshine is doing, but she has been decidedly absent from Stone's life since she brought her here. I understand we're a boarding school now, but she works here at least as a temp, She could be bothered with trying to be a little godmotherly to her god-child. She practically avoids her." Recovery paused to relax a bit. "Unless she has to talk to her, like informing her of the new rules, and apparently to tell her about Prometheus dying."

"She was asked to talk to Stone because of the incident with her half sister, not to talk about the death." Aizawa said, very calmly. Chiyo nodded next to him.

"Well I don't know what they talked about in detail but apparently the focus was his death, and I understand that the loss of a partner is very hard …" She stopped, and took a deep breath to calm herself and refocus on her goal. "My point is, she's taking on a lot on those young shoulders and she needs support."

Aizawa was quiet for a moment, considering his options. Chiyo wasn't entirely wrong, though he would say that if Sunshine was being emotionally neglectful, then Stone had, so far, done amazingly well. Though their initial conversation about Stone did not suggest that Sunshine didn't care about her. She had gone to great lengths... his thoughts paused. Suddenly he noticed glaring details that did not sit well with him. "One of the staff maybe? An adult willing to lend and ear?"

"Potentially, why not yourself?" She suggested.

He shook his head no, then added on to the head-shake; "She's still to guarded around me."

Recovery Girl nodded her head, knowingly. "Then Perhaps Yamada or Nemuri would be willing." Aizawa cocked an eyebrow at her for suggesting his two friends. "I'm not suggesting them because of you, They're both capable people who have waded into the waters of being supportive ears to the wounded."

"I'll ask them." He said simply, wondering which of the pair was likely to take it up. Mic, Yamada might not be bad, but Stone was a fan of him, and might be the worst option possible.

"I've got her for now, she should be good and hydrated by tomorrow." She reassured, patting the foot of the bed for emphasis. Aizawa nodded, and left, Letting Chiyo get back to her work.

He let 1-A know that their missing classmate was simply with Recovery Girl and nothing terrible or drastic had befallen her. Which seemed to relieve a few of them. They wrapped up their school day as normal, giving Momo Stone's work on the idea that she make sure her fellow female classmate get them as soon as possible. Which She readily agreed to, and that was that.

His temples gave an ache as he headed back to his own apartments. Grateful, a bit, that he wasn't going to be on patrol tonight. He had far to much on his mind with this many kids in his care. He was pretty sure Mic wasn't going to say no when he offered the 'job' to him. He was also sure Nemuri wasn't going to say no either, however Stone's interactions with Nemuri had often been like his. Awkward, guarded, and unsure of the woman's intentions, which when he thought about it, he couldn't really blame her sometimes.

000

"Are you sure, Sho'?" Yamada asked, continuing to rinse Aizawa's hair. Some one had to take care of Shouta Aizawa's hair. "Not that I'm saying no... just,... do you think that would work? "

"Do you think it wouldn't?" He asked back, eyes closed, leaning into Yamada's hands. "I thought you two talked to each other."

"I don't know if it would, is all." He continued, now he was definitely just playing in Shouta's long black locks. "She's been... well she's been kinda weird, really cagey. Not that she was a Chatty Cathy or whatever, but just, kinda distant... you know?"

"No."

"Think Todoroki" Then Hizashi made a face Aizawa could practically hear. "Why are we even talking about this in the bath? Don't you ever turn off from work?"

"Turn around." Aizawa grumbled out as he shifted positions, so he could return the hair washing favor. Yamada making some sort of snorting noise and complying. Aizawa did enjoy washing Yamada's hair of all the heavy duty product it had to endure at the end of the day. Yamada just enjoyed how surprisingly gentle those rough hands could be. "Because its important. Now, do you want to help or not?"

"Sure, sure, I'll help out."

"Good, going to ask her to come talk during the lunch period tomorrow."

Yamada let out some noise, perhaps in language Aizawa didn't know, and he didn't care. Allowing himself to become absorbed in the activity of washing his boyfriend's hair. Forgetting for a time about the issues of his students. Midoriya, Stone... Bakugo, he let the thoughts go for now.

Their bath continuing on without interruption after that, instead turning to (surprisingly) quietly enjoying each other's company. Yamada yawning wide once they were done, toweling off. Following Aizawa out of the bathroom, and into their bedroom.

"How are we doing that lunch thing tomorrow? Are you leaving it to just me or? " Yamada asked again, putting on a loose shirt, feeling a little to chilly for the night. Aizawa looked at him, looking dead tired of hearing about the kids, since his job on that front was now over. "Right right! Bedtime. Got it."

"I'll be there, if not, I'll be close enough to hear..." Aizawa grumbled out, before almost collapsing into the bed as if he was now in a liquid state. His big cat meowing at him from the corner for disturbing him. Yamada paid the cat no mind, snuggling up right against Aizawa, who just lazily lifted one arm to rest over his noisy boyfriend. "Ah yes, I get to be the little spoon tonight." Chuckling to himself, upon hearing Aizawa huff into his hair. Covers pulled over next, as the two got attempted to get comfortable, around their cats. Cocktail sleeping somewhere near Hizashi's arms, and Aizawa's cat trying to sleep on their shoulders.

By morning, Hizashi's cat, Cocktail, was nestled under his chin, purring happily while Aizawa's big cat mowed angrily to be fed. Allowing Aizawa to sleep longer, Hizashi got up, to take care of the cat. Carrying Cocktail with him like a plush animal. Close to his chest, and being petted and cuddled all the way into the kitchen where he proceeded to feed both of them their wet food breakfast. Settling into his spot at the table while the coffee maker did its morning job and Aizawa managed to slowly wake up.

Time for school.